Walker, who was speaking at last week's Growing Kalgoorlie-Boulder 2018 economic development conference in Perth, said the city was looking at plans to realign the east-to-west rail line.

While the aim of the $70 million proposal is ostensibly to ease traffic and increase the efficiency of trucks passing through the town, any such move would also benefit the operator of the Super Pit, Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mine, by freeing up highly mineralised land in tenements it owns.

In Kalgoorlie, drivers are often held up by passing 1.8km-long freight trains at rail crossings, with about 41 trains passing through the town regularly. Heavy haulage trucks also clog up Great Eastern Highway.

Walker said shifting the rail line would ease traffic in the area by rerouti...